I'm here
by Alyss-8D
Summary: It has been a month since they returned from Skandia. Maybe Will is acting the same as before.. but that's just the thing that worried Halt. He was acting. Halt wants to know what really happened in Skandia, not just the bigger picture. Reading the book The Icebound land story
1. Prologue

**Hey everybody! My first RA fanfic! I'm so excited!  
And yes: in case you want to now: I love Will, he's my favorite character sorry if I'm making him extremely lovable ;D  
And I definitely like Halt too, and I love their bond!  
Enjoy and please review! Even if it's bad (Still, be nice please ;d)**

It had been a month, and Will was already back to the open, annoying, but loveable apprentice that kept asking questions and never seemed to shut up.  
Not that Halt really minded, he loved Will as a son he never had, but that didn't mean he had to know that.  
Halt watched him from afar, and was quite happy with what he saw. Will fired arrow after arrow and they all hit the bullseye.  
Still, something bothered Halt; Will never talked about his time in Skandia. Sure, Halt knew the great lines: How he protected the princess while they were on the boat, how they became slaves and how Will eventually got addicted to the warmweed. But still, he must have had an awful and terrible time there, Halt knew from the nightmares Will had, but never wanted to talk about.

Halt hated being incapable of helping Will when he needed it so desperately.

Because he indeed needed it. Maybe Will is acting the same as before, but that actually made Halt more worried. The journey he went through should have changed him, there just was no escaping that. but Will acted like it never happened. Well he did, but he hasn't..changed. Shouldn't Will be more..reserved now? Or maybe something else? Harder? Less happy? Halt didn't know, he should be glad Will was still acting happy, but there was the problem: he was acting, Halt could see it.

Sure, Will is a very strong boy, and time will indeed heal Will, but not like this, not so sudden. And not without talking about it. Will is not flawless, Halt knew he would have gotten better, he has enough willpower to overcome the events he went through, no doubt there, and sure he would have changed a bit, but in a better way.

But staying the same boy he was before? Not a chance.

So Halt needed to know what really happened over there in Skandia but what could he do? It's not like Evanlyn is going to tell him, she's just as bad as Will right now (or good). And Erak has already told Halt what he knew, and that wasn't much.

Ne needed to know and he was frustrated he didn't.

Maybe that was why, when Will stopped shooting and gave him a big grin because he did so well, Halt ignored him and went inside.

"Hey Halt, how did I do today?", Will asked, eyes full of hope to get a better reaction now.

Halt looked at him, and now truly looked.  
He saw a mob of unruly brown curls on top of his apprentice's head, impossible to get a comb through but (if he needed to believe Jenny and Alyss and possibly every other girl) "very cute", Halt didn't really think of it that way.  
Then he looked at his face and saw his apprentice was quite the handsome boy, tanned skin with deep brown eyes, surround by thick long eyelashes, a straight nose and high cheekbones. Sure, he was pretty small for a boy but that only added to his charm. Halt knew Will always was very popular with the girls but just was way to oblivious to notice. (Or Halt's presence scared them away)  
But Halt saw the dark bags under his eyes and he knew his apprentice didn't get enough sleep from the constant nightmares.

"You did good.", Halt said and turned around, seeing the start of a brilliant smile on Will's face.  
Halt wanted that smile to be real.


	2. Arriving at Castle Araluen

**Gah! Never knew writing a story is so hard, respect for all the others out there!  
So, yeah, this is chapter 2, hope you enjoy it. I had a really hard time writing Halt's relationship with Pauline, I mean they're not married yet in here, so I don't really know how he should act...**  
**And Will and Alyss are really hard too, easier but still hard. Guess I'm not good at writing couples. Oh well (:  
Please enjoy!**

Halt's eyebrows shot high up when he read the letter he just received.  
_Well, this is unexpected_ Halt thought by himself while reading the letter from king Duncan. It seemed he and Will were needed at Castle Araluen, and it was urgent.

He looked at Will, who, as soon as Halt made eyecontact, burst out all his questions.  
"So, from who's the letter? Is it Crowley? It looked pretty official, maybe the king? Did we get a mission? Do we need to go somewhere? Is it urg.."

"Maybe if my _dear_ apprentice would take a breath sometime, and learned some patience I could actually tell him what's going on, don't you think?" Halt said.

Will wisely shut his mouth after that and let Halt continue.

"That's better,"Halt told Will, "And as for the letter, it seems were needed at Castle Araluen and.."  
He saw Will open his mouth to ask more questions, ugh apprentices, but before Will could say anything Halt continued: "He didn't say why but we need to leave immediately."

He looked at Will and saw he wasn't really motivated to go. _I wouldn't be either, if I was so tired _Halt thought. Time to make Will a little bit more energetic.

"Alyss is coming too Will." Halt said.

He saw Will visibly changing before his eyes: He smiled, his eyes twinkled and his bags seemed to be a little less pronounced. _A little. _But that was better than nothing right?

"Alright! I'll start packing then Halt! And Will hurried away, almost tripping over his cape.

_Apprentice's are so easy, especially when they're in love and they don't know it._ Halt needed to keep a smile from forming.

**A few days later in castle Araluen**

He looked better, Halt decided when they passed the gate of castle Araluen.

It's probably because he's going to see his friends again, and Alyss of course. And don't forget about Evanlyn and Horace.  
These past days, Will's nightmares lessened considerably, and he slept better. You could still see he was fatigued but not that hard. And Halt was really thankful for that fact. His thoughts were interrupted by an elegant courier.

"Will! Good to see you again!" The normally so calm and composed Alyss shouted. Will jumped out of his saddle and ran over to Alyss and gave her a big hug.

Halt raised an eyebrow, that "friendly hug" seemed to take a bit long. He was just about to say something horribly embarrassing about Will just to tease him, when Pauline came out. It was his time to be dumbstruck. After a more or less completely embarrassing meeting with Pauline. (Why couldn't Halt keep his nerves under control when in her presence?) Evanlyn came out. As soon as she saw Will, she smiled and hugged him. Even Halt could see the hug held a very deep meaning: They created a special bond when they were away. When they released each other they looked deep in each others eyes and it seemed they shared an invisible message. Only for them to understand.

It worried me, it only added to the feeling I had that Will was still having a hard time.

**Will PoV**

_She was so beautiful _Will thought when he saw Alyss again. He had missed her dearly, so he didn't blame himself when he got overexcited and almost fell when he sprung out of the saddle. When they hugged, his hart missed a few beats. Her hair had grown longer since he had last seen her: her gorgeous blonde locks reached her taille now. Her gray eyes sparkled the same intelligence. And she was still as elegant and tall as before. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Her eyes sparkled with happiness at seeing him again.

Than Evanlyn came out, and his eyes switched from gray to green. Evanlyn (or rather Cassandra, but he just couldn't see her as that) had grown her blonde hair longer too, and her green eyes were as stunning as before. There was a time when he thought he loved her, but now it was clear it was sisterly love, they shared a bond that went very deep. He hugged her and felt the message in it.

_How are you keeping up?_

He hugged her even tighter and hoped she could understand his message. _I'm okay, been better but it's alright. _Truth was, he was still having nightmares, and he didn't sleep well. He still had nights were he would return back to that cold country and he would feel so cold and alone. He didn't ask for help, because Will was sure he needed to do this alone, and he felt ashamed for the warmweed addiction. There were times when he thought Halt could see through his fake smiles, but he never talked about it.  
Probably because he knew Will wouldn't want to anyway.  
_By the way _Will thought _These last few days went much better, no use irritating other people with it._  
He reminded himself he was still hugging Evanlyn, and gave her a final squeeze._  
_They stepped back and he looked in her eyes.  
**  
**_I'm here for you, you know that. _Was her final message

He turned to Halt and saw a weird look in his mentor's eyes. _Was he worried? _Halt was seldom worried and now that Will saw he was, he became a bit wary. _I hope he doesn't ask about Skandia._

But, as soon as Halt's look started, it was gone and he spoke.

_"_I know it's hard for you young folks to be respectful, but the king is waiting for us I think. Will, come with me."

So Will followed, because, as brave as the boy was, he didn't want to be the case of his mentor's wrath.


	3. An angry Will

**Hello, sorry if this took too long, but school just started D:  
And I'm also learning how to play the ukulele :D  
MY STUPID 'N' button is a bit broken! So annoying!  
Anyways hope you enjoy, the next chapter is when they start reading (:**

**Halt PoV**

****Will was happy, Halt could see that very clearly. The meeting with his two charming female friends had certainly lifted his spirits. And there came more, because Horace appeared almost immediately after they went inside the castle. He and Will shared a hug and started talking about something Halt knew nothing of. The girls, Alyss and Evanlyn, were discussing something but it was clear they still didn't like each other.

Halt was very pleased to see his old apprentice Gilan again, who appeared out of the shadows in the hall. He wanted to surprise Halt but found out he failed again. He gave his old mentor a hug and went over to Will and the others to greet them. When Halt saw his two apprentice's together, he couldn't help but feel very proud of them. They have both grown so much, sure Will was still learning but they were both suck amazing young men, Halt felt great knowing he taught them everything. And even though Will wasn't really Will at the moment, he felt so proud. Will could overcome this, he was sure.

He looked away before he got too sentimental.

He and Pauline started talking, and Halt was rather content that he wasn't screwing up. Soon, they were interrupted by Crowley, who was constantly giving Halt and Pauline amusing glances, while on their way to the King's room. Halt was getting annoyed but just when he was about to say something, a welcoming voice was heard.

King Duncan appeared and there was a warm welcome. Greetings were given and tea was served, Duncan looked around, at all the faces. His eyes stopped for a moment when he saw Will, with a very weird look in his eyes and Halt found this rather weird. He looked over at his apprentice, and saw he was too focused on chatting with Evanlyn to notice anything.

_What's up with King Duncan? _Halt thought, but his musings were interrupted by Will, who just said something weird, with a very alarming look on his face.

"What? How come your father knows?", Will whispered, "Did you tell him about Slagor?"

_Slagor? Who is Slagor? And why is Will acting so scared? _And more importantly, why didn't Will ever tell him about this Slagor?

"No, that's just it Will! I didn't tell him! I don't know how he knows!"Evanlyn hurriedly said, "I think it has something to do with this meeting and I'm a bi.."

Halt never found out what she was going to say, because just then, Duncan announced something.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention for a second," Duncan said, and everybody stopped talking and listened, "As you all know, I have not called you here for a talk and some nice tea," He smiled, though it was a bit sadly, again he shot a very weird look at Will. This time, Will did notice it.

"I wish it was but in fact, it's the opposite, a week ago I received a very weird package with a book in it, at first I thought it was a joke, because I just don't have time for reading. But one night I saw it laying there and it sort of called me, so I read the first page...It turned out the book was about some very...," Duncan hesitated for a bit, but continued, "dreadful experiences about somebody we all know very well, and he's here in the room."

Everyone looked around, except for Will and Evanlyn who gave each other some very alarmed looks, and exactly that moment Halt knew. The thing he heard just moments ago about some Slagor, the hurried whispering, the alarmed looks and the frightened look an Will's face of a deer just caught by a ranger.

It was about Will.

It was confirmed by Duncan: "It's about our dear Will, and my daughter too of course, it's a book about their experience in Skandia. I think we should all read it, not because I think it's right to invade their privacy, but because I want to help them. I want to help Evanlyn." He looked over to Will,

"Because they should be helped, no matter what they say..And I think you guys know everybody here has the right to know."

Will looked angry and sat with his head down, his knuckles were white.

Halt was shocked, and that didn't happen very much. Finally, he was going to hear everything about that awful journey. He was going to be able to help Will.

"I don't want this, you all know I don't, I feel awful about it and I don't want to hear anything about it anymore, I want to forget it, I was stupid for getting...drugged, I was stupid for not escaping, I was stupid for not telling Evanlyn clearly to get away. And Slagor..." Will winced a tiny bit and looked up, right into Halt's eyes. Will looked so frustrated and angry it just didn't fit him at all.

"Will, you know you weren't stupid, you were so brave!" Evanlyn said, "I think everybody should know what you did to help them, everything."

"Will, nobody's going to be ashamed of you, or hate you." Halt said soflty.

It was like Will stopped breathing for a minute, for he made no sound at all. He just sat there, angry look on his face, knuckles white and staring down at the ground. It was like the world started turning again as soon as he moved.

"Go on then, do it, you all do it anyway." He said in a defeated, monotone voice.

Halt was hurt by this tone, never ever had he heard such a voice coming from Will. Should he go through with this? Wasn't it unfair for Will? He loved his apprentice as a son, hearing him like this...It pained Halt. He looked at all the others and confirmed they had made the same decision. He needed to hear this, Will was just to noble to ask for help when he needed it. Halt knew it would be hard for him, reliving those moments must be awful, but Halt nééded to know. He looked over at Will desperately.

"Will, I know this must be awful for you, but please..would you just consider my place in this? I want to help you, just as much as everyone else here! Please son, so we can know the things you won't or can't tell us. Nobody is ever going to think differently about you after this."

Will looked up and shrugged "Just do it, I know you want to help me..You just..oh, just do it already."

It was one of the hardest things Will had ever said, Halt just knew.

"Thank you Will" he said and nodded at Duncan. "Let's start then."

**I hope it's okay, 'cause I actually rushed it a bit, let me know in a review!  
Loveyouguys!**


	4. The storm 1

**Heya there Guys!  
Sorry this took so long, but with school starting and having lots of homework.. GRR!  
First, I want to say thank you for all the reviews they make me really happy :D  
Though, some of you might want to learn the word "please" ;d**

THIS IS IMPORTANT:

THIS IS A READING THE ICEBOUND LAND STORY! So no, it won't be written by me, only their reactions and thoughts ofcourse, and maybe I'll add a situation here and there, you will see! :D

So, some of you thought Will is acting really weird, just wanted to make clear he's still the old Will but just really frustrated that everybody's going to read his thoughts, normal right? And ofcourse, the things he went through are very traumatic I think, my opinion is that Will went over it fairly quick. And I think that just isn't right, sure he is strong but he needs to move on. It seems that even though it happened in the books, it also wasn't explained how, that's a pity.

**HERE IT BEGINS BUT PLEASE READ THE ABOVE!**

**Everyone's PoV**

Duncan couldn't believe it! He was finally after all this time, going to read about his daughter's adventures, for the lack of a better word. Because from what he already knew it was a heavy and frightening journey where Cassie and Will went through things he couldn't even imagine, and he was king! He wondered if he would even feel better when reading the books, but something told him he needed to know this.

He looked over at his daughter, which hand was clutched in that of Will's, both with very worn, but determined looks on their faces. His daughter, even though cleary sad, was sitting proudly on her chair, afraid but ready for what she was about to hear again.  
Will was clearly the same, but still..something in his posture was different, more worn, more weary, like he didn't like what was coming at all. Duncan had heard from Cassie that she had had it easier in Skandia, but if her stories already made him so depressing, what about Will's stories?

He looked over at Halt and saw he was studying his apprentice very closely, already trying to figure out what's about to happen in the book.  
Until he looked over at Duncan an gently raised an eyebrow. The question was clear: _Well, when are you going to start reading?  
_

So duncan started.

**1**

**THE WOLFSHIP WAS ONLY A FEW HOURS FROM CAPE SHELTER when the massive storm hit them.  
**

_Oh no_, Halt thought, _this isn't starting well _and he shot an alarming look at Will who's eyes seemed far away, somewhere completely else.  
At least, until he seemed to pop out of something and quietly shook his head and his eyes got a determined look in them.  
It almost seemed he didn't want to think about something.

**For three days, they had sailed north toward Skandia through a sea that was calm as a millpond—a fact appreciated by Will and Evanlyn.**

"**This isn't too bad," Will said as the narrow ship cut smoothly through the waters.**

Will grimaced, "that's really ironic", he told everyone quietly. He didn't want to hear this all over again, this embarrassing moment of being unuseful, not being able to help Evanlyn.

**He had heard grim tales of people becoming violently sick on board ships at sea.**

Gilan chuckled and looked over at his mentor who quietly shut him up with one of his glares.

**But he could see nothing to worry about in this gentle rocking motion. Evanlyn nodded, a little doubtfully. She was by no means an experienced sailor, but she had been to sea before.**

"**If this is as bad as it gets," she said.**

Will wished she wasn't right, that that storm didn't happen at all. But yeah, wishing just wasn't his best point. He looked over at his mentor and saw he was the one being looked at. Halt seemed to ask him a question:_You okay?  
_He nodded and even almost smiled at the thought of Halt on a boat, he became so sea-sick that his stern mentor seemed to turn in a completely other person. But his 'smile' dissepeared when he heard the next lines.

**She had noticed the worried looks that Erak, the ship's captain, was casting to the north, and the way he was urging Wolfwind's rowers on to greater speed. For his part, Erak knew that this deceptively calm weather heralded a change for the worse—much worse.**

"Was it truly that bad?" Horace asked, concerned for his friends.  
"Well..yeah Horace, it was pretty bad." Will answered.

This didn't calm Horace's nerves at all.

**Dimly, on the northern horizon, he could see the dark storm line forming. He knew that if they couldn't round Cape Shelter and get into the lee of the landmass in time, they would take the full force of the storm. For several minutes, he assessed speeds and distances, judging their progress against that of the onrushing clouds.**

"**We're not going to make it," he said finally to Svengal. His second in command nodded agreement.**

Alyss closed her eyes. _Will made it, Will made it, Will made it,.. _She silently chanted to herself.

Will looked over at Alyss and saw she opened her eyes and turned to him, as soon as her eyes landed on Will, she seemed to be relieved about something. Quickly, before he would lose his courage, Will took her hand in his own.  
He didn't see Evanlyn's jealous stare. Evanlyn knew her friend needed all the help he could get, but this didn't please her at all. She thought that maybe, the handsome fellow next to her would love her just as she loved him.. _They were only holding hands_, she thought, _I still have a chance._

"**Looks that way," Svengal said philosophically. Erak was glancing keenly around the ship, making sure that there was no loose gear that needed to be secured. His eye lit on the two prisoners, huddled in the bow.**

"Did he already forgot you two were there?" Halt asked  
"No", Will answered, "we just weren't his biggest concern at the moment." Will told him  
"Well, I tought better of Erak! Didn't he help you guys?" Gilan asked.  
"He did Gilan, but that's later, you'll see he's a great fellow!", Evanlyn said, defending the brave Oberjarl, who helped her and Will escape.

"**Better tie those two to the mast," he said. "And we'll rig the sweep steering oar as well." Will and Evanlyn watched Svengal as he made his way toward them. He had a coil of light hemp in his hand.**

"**What now?" Will asked. "They can't think we're going to try to escape."**

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Horace asked.  
"It's for safety, when a storm is very heavy, it's better to be tied up, so a big wave won't pull you over the ship, isn't it Will?" Evanlyn asked her friend, who seemed to get slightly better with the situation.. but only slightly.  
"Yeah, I'm glad he did, we would've been dead if he hadn't done that!" Will exclaimed, to the fright of his mentor and Duncan.  
_Just how bad was that storm exactly?_

**But Svengal had stopped by the mast, and was beckoning urgently to them. The two Araluens rose and moved uncertainly toward him. Will noticed that the ship's motion was becoming a little more pronounced and the wind was increasing. **

"How did you notice that?", Cassandra asked her friend, "I didn't notice at all."  
Will shrugged, he just did.  
"Will is very attentive, he always has been like that." Alyss told them, "It's what makes him such a good ranger!" And she smiled at Will.  
Will seemed to get really happy with this, and got some color on his cheeks, but just when he was about to thank her. Halt interrupted.

"Wish he would be that attentive to geography! Now thát would make him a good ranger!" But everyone could hear he was joking, except for Will, whose shoulders slumped in defeat.

**He staggered as he made his way to Svengal. Behind him, he heard Evanlyn mutter an unladylike swearword as she stumbled and barked her shin on a bollard.**

"Cassandra!" Duncan scolded her. "those are no words for a crown-princess!"  
"I wasn't exactly a princess there dad." She countered back.  
"Nono, ofcourse, but still!"

**Svengal drew his saxe knife and cut two lengths of cord from the coil. "Tie yourselves to the mast," he told them. "We're in for the mother of all storms any minute."**

"That's a good name for it." Will said.

"**You mean we could be blown overboard?" Evanlyn asked incredulously. Svengal noted that Will was tying himself to the mast with a neatly executed bowline knot. **

Halt nodded proudly, even then Will remembered his training very well, he was proud of the boy. Not that he didn't expect any less of Will.

Will saw his mentor nod, and that little gesture made him so proud, even (dare he say it?) Alyss' compliment wasn't as good as that. Though he must admit, that was pretty nice too, and gave her a little squeez.

**The girl was having some trouble, so Svengal took the rope, passed it around her waist and then secured her as well.**

"Sorry I didn't tie you first," Will apologized to Evanlyn.  
"You don't need to apologize Will, I'm sure you would have helped me if nobody else did."

"**Maybe," he replied to her question. "More likely washed overboard by the waves." He saw the boy's face go pale with fear.**

"**You're telling us that the waves actually…come on board?" Will said. Svengal darted a fierce, humorless grin at him.**

"That was really scary, to know waves can get on a ship that big, it was really frightening..and his smile didn't really help." Will said.

"**Oh yes, indeed," he said, and hurried back to assist Erak in the stern, where the captain was already rigging the massive sweep oar.**

**Will swallowed several times. He had assumed that a ship like this would ride over the waves like a gull. Now he was told that the waves were likely to come crashing on board. He wondered how they could possibly stay afloat if that were to happen.**

"**Oh God…what is that?" Evanlyn said softly, pointing to the north. The thin dark line that Erak had seen was now a roiling black mass only a quarter of a kilometer away, sweeping down on them faster than a horse could gallop.**

"It was scary to see how fast it actually came at us, so suddenly." Evanlyn told everybody.  
"You must have been really frightened.", Halt stated.  
"Yeah..," Will hesitated, he didn't like admitting his fear, but his were the people he loved, they wouldn't laugh at him right?, "yeah we were, you can't believe how scary that storm looked from afar Halt, it was terrifying, to say the least."

Halt nodded, he expected that alright. And it didn't make him think any less of Will or Evanlyn at all. He couldn't even get on a boat without getting sea-sick, but a storm like this? It was unthinkable and Will and Evanlyn survived.

**SORRY I STOPPED SO SUDDENLY, but I have a lot of homework, and I already wanted to give you guys a part of it, I'm sorry it's not the hole chapter, the rest will come tomorrow or saturday, anyways, hope you guys like it, tell me what you think!**


	5. The storm 2

**HELLOOOO! SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE!  
I loved everyone's reviews by the way, they make me so happy! :D**

**HERE IT IS:**

**The two of them huddled close to the base of the mast, trying to wrap their arms all the way around the rough pine pole, scrabbling for a grip with their fingernails.**

"Well, that was a waste of time!" Will said, while grimacing.  
"Yeah, it didn't help one bit," Evanlyn said, while scooting closer to Will, "But we survived, didn't we?" She asked him while smiling.  
Will couldn't help but smile back, a real smile.

Alyss watched this little exchange with a sad smile. She knew they'd created a special bond. But still.. she felt like she was left out, wasn't Will her best friend? He was supposed to tell her everything! And to be honest, she felt jealous, jealous of Cassandra. But she couldn't tell him, it was already hard enough for him right now. She was going to be there for him, Cassandra business comes later.

**Then the sun was blotted out as the storm hit them.**

"Was it really so sudden?" Horace asked Will.  
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it but one moment everything was still and then.."

**The sheer force of the wind took Will's breath away. Literally. This wasn't a wind like any Will had ever known. **

"Well, that's dramatic, surely this is a bit..exaggerated? Gilan asked them.  
"You wouldn't know, would you?" Cassandra defended her friend, she still knew how that wind felt, it was horrifying.  
"It was really frightening Gilan," Will said coming in between, before Cassandra's temper got the best of her, for such a silly thing, "believe me."

**This was a savage, living, primeval force that wrapped around him, deafening him, blinding him, punching the breath out of his lungs and preventing his taking another: smothering him as it tried to claw his grip loose. **

Halt didn't like this for one bit, he liked his apprentice safe and well by his side. Not somewhere on the sea, being shaken by a monstrous storm. He was glad he had Will back.

**His eyes were shut tight as he struggled to breathe, holding desperately to the mast. Dimly, he heard Evanlyn scream and felt her begin to slip away from him. He grabbed blindly at her, caught her hand and dragged her back.**

"Thanks for that by the way Will, I was so relieved." Evanlyn told him.

**The first massive wave struck and the wolfship's bow canted up at a terrifying angle. They began to rise up the face of the wave, then the ship faltered and began to slide—backward and downward! Svengal and Erak screamed at the rowers. Their voices were plucked away by the wind, but the crew, their backs to the storm, could see and understand their body language. They heaved on the oars, bending the oak shafts with their efforts, and the backward slide slowly eased. The ship began to claw its way up the face of the wave, rising higher and higher, moving more and more slowly until Will was sure they must begin the terrible backward sliding motion again.**

Everyone's faces became white while Duncan read this, how was that even possible? They saw the wolfship, it was huge!

**Then the crest of the wave broke and thundered over them.**

**Tons of water crashed onto the wolfship, driving it down, rolling it far over to the right until it seemed that it would never recover. **

"Damn, that's scary why aren't you screaming for your life?" Horace said to his friend.

**Will screamed in absolute animal terror, **

"I did scream Horace." Will blushed. How was it that he seemed like a real coward in this book? He hated it, partly because the voice in his head only became louder and louder.  
_Coward, coward, coward,.. _it chanted annoyingly, until it made him crazy. And why wasn't anybody saying anything about it?

**then had the scream cut off as freezing salt water hammered against him, breaking his grip on the mast, filling his mouth and lungs and hurling him along the deck until the fragile cord brought him to a stop, swirling this way and that until the mass of water passed over and around him.**

"That feeling is one of the most terrifying feelings ever, It's weird but it's like I can still feel it.." Evanlyn said, so quiet it seemed almost to herself.  
"I understand, I do too sometimes.." Will said, though he found another feeling much more frightening.. and that still needed to be mentioned in this book. Even by just thinking about it, he received shivers all over his body.

Halt looked at his apprentice and saw his eyes were somewhere far away. Again.  
_Why is that? What was he thinking about to make him so.. scared?  
_Halt had a feeling he was going to find out sooner or later so he leaved his apprentice alone, for now.

**He was left flapping on the deck like a fish as the ship righted itself. Evanlyn was beside him and together they scrambled back to the mast, clinging on with renewed desperation.**

"Good idea guys!" Gilan said.

**Then the bow pitched forward and they went plummeting down the back of the wave into the trough, leaving their stomachs far behind and screaming with sheer terror once more. The bow sliced into the trough of the wave, splitting the sea and hurling it high above them. Once again, water cascaded over the deck of the ship, but this time it lacked the full force of the breaking wave and the two young people managed to hold on. The water, waist-deep, surged past them. Then the slender wolfship seemed to shake itself free of the massive weight.**

**In the rowing benches, the relief crew was already hard at work, baling water over the side with buckets. **

"Did that even help?" Duncan asked his daughter.  
"I have no idea dad, I wasn't really paying attention." Evanlyn answered him, while rolling her eyes. She loved her dad but sometimes...  
"I have no idea either, but I think so, otherwise Erak wouldn't find it that important, you can say what you want about Erak, but he is one good captain." Will said, remembering that big Oberjarl with affection. It was him who helped them escape, and for that he was eternally grateful.

**Erak and Svengal, in the most exposed part of the ship, were also tied in place, either side of the storm sweep. This was a massive steering oar, half as big again as one of the normal oars. It was used instead of the smaller steering board at times like these. The long oar gave the helmsman greater purchase so he could assist the rowers in dragging the head of the ship around. Today, it took the strength of both men to manage it.**

"And even that wasn't enough.. well almost." Halt said. He was glad for such great boatmen, he didn't want to think about the consequences if Will was on a boat with an oaf as captain.

**Deep in the trough between waves, the wind seemed to have lost some of its force. Will dashed the salt from his eyes, coughed and vomited seawater onto the deck. **

Alyss gave Will a worried look.

"It was really..dirty to say the least, you just couldn't keep that in." Will answered here gaze.  
This seemed to calm her a bit, if not by much.

**He met Evanlyn's terrified gaze. Weakly, he felt he should do something to reassure her. But there was nothing he could say or do. He couldn't believe that the ship could withstand another wave like that.**

Will couldn't take this anymore, that voice in his head becoming stronger and stronger.

_Coward, coward, everyone knows it, coward coward,..._

His knuckles turned white while his frustration built up. It was true, so true and it irritated him. But there were five words from his mentor that cooled him down.  
"I would have been too." Halt said to him, a hand on his shoulder.  
Those gray eyes burned into him and it seemed everything was quiet, that this was a moment between mentor and apprentice, or father and son in their case.  
Those eyes told him it was okay, it's normal to be afraid, that he was not a coward, everybody would've been frightened.  
That annoying voice dimmed until Will didn't hear it anymore, he nodded at his mentor.  
That moment that seemed to take so long, was gone in a flash when halt took his hand back.

Nobody overlooked that special moment, but it wasn't mentioned. What needed to be done, was done.

**SORRY FOR STOPPING HERE ALREADY! I know this isn't the full chapter yet, but it's going very slow, and I promised you guys something on Saturday and it's Monday.. SO SORRY!  
I hope I can make you guys happy with this, it's just I'm very buzzy.  
Let me know what you think! :D**


	6. The storm 3

**I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SO LATE!  
But I have a life outside of this, so don't judge me please ):  
Anyways, here it is:**

**Yet another was already on the way.**

Everyone paled at this.

**Even bigger than the first, it marched toward them across several hundred meters of the trough, rearing and massing itself high above them, higher than the walls of Castle Redmont. **

"How is that even possible? It's a wave!" Horace shouted.  
"I agree with you Horace!" Gilan said, he didn't know what to think anymore, Will survived this, but even just reading about it was scary. And it was all his fault, if he didn't make such a stupid decision for leaving them..this wouldn't have happened at all! Will would still have that same twinkle in his brown eyes, he wouldn't look so.. unhappy, there just wasn't another word for it.

He looked over at Will again. He saw Alyss was holding is hand and Gilan was pleased to notice that Will had a slight blush covering his cheeks. Even that little twinkle had returned, though not the same as before.

It seemed help was really the thing he needed.

**Will buried his face against the mast, felt Evanlyn doing the same as the ship began that awful, slow rise again. **

"I found that one of the worst feelings, you didn't know if you'd make it or not." Will informed everybody.  
Evanlyn nodded at that.  
"I can imagine." Duncan told him, he hadn't said something for a long time and found that he needed to say something now. It's just that this story seemed to drain his energy, _oh how close Evanlyn had been to dead._

**Up and up they went, clawing at the face of the wave, the men heaving until their hearts might burst as they tried to drag Wolfwind up the wave against the combined force of wind and sea. This time, before the wave broke, Will felt the ship seem to lose the last moment of the battle. He opened his eyes in horror as she began to surge backward to certain disaster. Then the crest curled over and smashed down upon them, and again he was sent spinning and scrabbling on the deck, fetching up against the rope that secured him, feeling something slam painfully into his mouth and realizing that it was Evanlyn's elbow. **

"Sorry about that," Evanlyn told Will," I was panicked and I couldn't control were I went." She said, afraid she had hurt Will.  
"No apology needed Evanlyn, it's okay I understand." He answered, a genuine smile spreading over his face, lightening up his whole face.

_Pity it didn't last a bit longer_ Evanlyn thought. _He looks really cute smiling._

She blushed and looked away before anyone could catch her staring at Will.

Halt looked over amused, his apprentice just didn't know how popular he was.

**Water thundered over him then the bow pitched down once more, and Wolfwind began another sliding, careering dive down the far side, rolling upright, shedding the seawater like a duck. This time, Will was too weak to scream. He moaned softly and crawled back to the mast. He looked at Evanlyn and shook his head. There was no way they could survive this, he thought. He could see the same fear in her eyes.**

Everyone looked over at Will, a weird look in their eyes.  
He noticed.

"What?" Will asked, truly curious, why was everybody looking at him like he just ate his rangercloak.

"Well, it's just that I didn't expect that coming out of your mouth, you're always so spirited and never give up." Horace said to his friend, it was true after all. Will was never one for giving up.

"Oh.. Well sorry I disappointed you!" Will said, becoming slightly angry, how could they judge him like this? They told him they wouldn't think of him differently. "Sorry that I was scared, that was my first time on a ship you know and it wasn't exactly a nice experience! I'm sorry for thinking I couldn't survive this, you wouldn't either! You weren't there so you .." Will shouted at Horace.

"Will, nobody's judging you." Halt interrupted.

Will's angry face fixed on Halt.

"Well, I'm sorry for thinking that then, you're all looking at me like it's wrong, I didn't mean for Evanlyn to feel more afraid because of me, I didn't.. no I couldn't give her hope when I didn't have any myself."  
Will told him.

"Then just say that, instead of becoming mad like that Will," halt answered, a bit mad at his apprentice for treating them like this, especially him! Will should know they weren't judging him!, "everybody has moments like that, it's normal Will. Everybody's just a bit surprised to hear it coming from you, and that's not an insult, that's a compliment. We don't think differently of you just because you were afraid, it's the most normal thing to be afraid in such a situation. So cut your whining, it doesn't suit you." Halt finished sternly, looking at his apprentice and pleased to notice the message sunk in.

"I'm... I'm just a bit stressed out, I'm sorry everyone." Will said.

"No need for apologies Will, besides you were so courageous the hole time, without you.. I couldn't have survived, I want you to know that." Evanlyn told him sincerely.

"Well, some good, addicted friend I was.." Will whispered quietly so nobody could hear him.  
Finally, he shot a grateful look at Evanlyn and motioned for king Duncan to continue reading.

**In the stern, Erak and Svengal braced themselves as Wolfwind slammed into the trough, sending sheets of water high either side of the bow, the whole fabric of the ship vibrating to the impact. She rolled, shook, righted herself again.**

"**She's taking it well," Svengal shouted. Erak nodded grimly. Terrifying as it might seem to Will and Evanlyn, the wolfship was designed to cope with massive seas like this. **

"We didn't know that then, it would have helped to know." Evanlyn said while grimacing.

**But even a wolfship had its limitations. And if they reached them, Erak knew, they would all be dead.**

"Oh well, that we did know." Will joked at Evanlyn.  
Evanlyn and Will laughed, though it was a bit quiet and forced, it was a laugh.  
Alyss and halt were glad to notice him joking again, and especially Alyss, because she loved his smile.

"**That last one nearly had us," he replied. It was only a last-minute surge by the rowers that had dragged the ship through the crest as she had been about to slide backward into the trough.**

"**We're going to have to turn her and run before the storm," he concluded, and Svengal nodded agreement, staring ahead through eyes slitted against the wind and the salt spray. "After this one," he said. The next wave was a little smaller than the one that had nearly finished them. But smaller was a relative term. The two Skandians tightened their grip on the sweep oar.**

Gilan whistled, "Wow, two skandians, and it's still hard to hold it."

"**Heave, damn you! Heave!" Erak roared at the rowers as the mountain of water reared high above them and Wolfwind began another slow, precarious climb.**

"**Oh no. Please, please, let it end," Will moaned as he felt the bow cant upward once more. The terror was physically exhausting.**

"You can't imagine the feeling!" Evanlyn said.  
Halt could imagine just fine, he hated ships. And that was without such a storm.

**He just wanted it to stop. If necessary, he thought, let the ship go under. Let it all go. Make an end of it. Just make this mind-numbing terror stop. **

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one feeling like that" Evanlyn told Will.  
"Oh, I thought you noticed on my face I was so scared!" Will said surprised.  
"Umm, you looked pretty cool to me, for the situation at last," Evanlyn said, she didn't really have a clue he was feeling all of this, it was just the same thing she had been feeling, "You were a great comfort Will, always ready for anything."

Will blushed, but wasn't really convinced.

**He could hear Evanlyn beside him, sobbing with fear. He placed an arm around her **

Evanlyn shot a pointed look at Will.

**but he couldn't bring himself to do anything more to comfort her. **

Will shot a look back.

"Oh Will, shut it, what more could you have done?!" Alyss said, annoyed at Wills low convidence.

Will wisely shut his mouth, two of his female friends against him. He couldn't win that match.  
Still, he was very happy they held him in such high esteem.

**Up, up and up they went, then there was the familiar roar of the collapsing crest and the thunder of water crashing down upon them. Then the bow came through the crest, slamming against the back of the wave and plummeting down. Will tried to scream but his throat was raw and his energy exhausted. He managed only a low sob.**

**Wolfwind sliced into the sea at the base of the wave again. Erak bellowed instructions to the rowers. They would have a short time in the wind shadow of the next approaching wave, and that was the time to make their turn.**

"**To the steerboard side!" he bellowed, pointing his hand in the direction of the turn just in case his voice didn't carry to some of the forward rowers—although there was little fear of that.**

**The rowers set their feet against the wooden bracing boards. Those on the steerboard, or right-hand, side of the ship drew their oar handles back toward them. The left-hand-side rowers pushed theirs forward. As the ship leveled, Erak roared out his order.**

"**Now!"**

**The oar blades dipped into the sea, and as one side pushed and the other pulled, Erak and Svengal threw their weight on the sweep. The long, narrow ship pivoted neatly, almost in one spot, bringing the stern around to the wind and sea.**

"**Now pull together!" Erak roared, and the oarsmen went to it with a will. He had to keep the ship moving a little faster than the following sea or it would overwhelm them. **

"He's a great captain, he knows the sea like the back of his hand that man!" Duncan said, clearly satisfied Erak had been captain on that boat.

**He glanced once at the two young Araluen captives, **

"Oh look!," Evanlyn said happily , "He's thinking of us!"  
Will wasn't so sure, Erak was an amazing man, but this was before they came "friends".

**huddled miserably by the mast, then forgot them as he went back to judging the ship's movements, **

"Oh, well that's more important indeed, imagine what would have happened if he didn't watch the ship!" Evanlyn said.

**keeping her stern to the following sea. Any error on his part and she'd broach sideways, and that would be the end of them. They were riding easier, he knew. But this was no time to be distracted. To Will and Evanlyn, the ship was still plunging and rearing in a terrifying fashion, traveling through a vertical distance of as much as fifteen meters as she went from crest to trough. **

"Well, we clearly don't know a thing about sailing!" Will said.  
"Or we were just to scared to notice anything else." Evanlyn told him, sure that she truly had been very scared.

**But now the movement was more controlled. They were going with the sea, not fighting it. Will sensed a slight easing in the motion. **

"Seems you did mention a difference Will." Horace said.  
"He should, he's an apprentice after all!" Halt answered for Will. He didn't show it but was very proud of Will.

**Spray and solid water still slammed over them at regular intervals, but the terrifying, backsliding motion was a thing of the past. As the ship coped with each successive mountain of water sweeping under and around it, Will began to believe that they might have a slight chance of survival.**

"See? You're already back to you're annoying happy self." Halt said.  
Will grinned at this.

**But it was a slim might. He still felt the same surge of bowel-gripping terror with every wave that overtook them. Each time, he felt that this could well be the last. He put both arms around Evanlyn, felt her arms go around his neck in return, her icy cheek pressed against his own. **

_That felt really good_, Evanlyn thought,_ I wouldn't know what I should have done without him._

Alyss lips became a thin line. She didn't like hearing this at all. Will was hers!  
Sure, she could understand Evanlyn. Will was a handsome guy after all, but that was all the more reason for Alyss to be protective of him.

**And so the two young people sought, and found, comfort and courage from each other.**

And Alyss immediately felt bad. How could she just have thought that? She should be happy Evanlyn had been there. Will obviously found comfort in her. She had been very egoistic and was glad nobody had noticed her thoughts.

Pauline discreetly covered her mouth. She could practically hear Alyss musings over those last few sentences. Love, it was a great but terrifying feeling.

**Evanlyn was whimpering with fear. And so was he, Will realized with some surprise—muttering meaningless words over and over, calling out to Halt, **

Halt felt guilt tug at his heart. He had been a lousy mentor. He had not been there when Will had needed him most.

**to Tug, to anyone who might listen and help. But as wave followed wave and Wolfwind survived, the blinding terror lessened and nervous exhaustion took its place and, eventually, he slept.**

**For seven more days, the ship was driven far to the south, out of the Narrow Sea and into the fringes of the Endless Ocean. And Will and Evanlyn huddled by the mast: sodden, exhausted, freezing. The numbing fear of disaster was always present in their minds but, gradually, they began to believe that they might survive.**

"I'm so glad you had each other." Halt said.  
"People are indeed stronger when with a person they love." Pauline said wisely.

Halt blushed.

_Love,_ Evanlyn thought, _Do I love Will? _  
_Yes you do.  
But in that way?  
_She got no answer.

"True, without Evanlyn, I would've been dead for sure!" Will said, and smiled at Evanlyn. He hoped she knew how courageous and helpful she had been. She was truly one of a kind. Than he looked over at Alyss.

Alyss too ofcourse, she had always been his best friend. And she had turned into such a beautiful person. Will blushed, _love, in that way?_

He looked over at Evanlyn again.

He couldn't decide.

**On the eighth day, the sun broke through. It was weak and watery, to be sure, but it was the sun. The violent plunging motion ceased, and once again the ship rode smoothly across the face of the rollers.**

**Erak, his beard and hair rimed with salt, hauled tiredly on the sweep, bringing the ship around in a smooth curve to face north once more.**

"**Let's head for Cape Shelter," he told his crew.**

_Skorghijl._**  
**And suddenly, all color drained from Will's face. He didn't want to hear about that again. It wasn't necessary, he visited it in his dreams almost every night anyway.

**SOOO that was the first chapter, finally complete!  
what do you think? Review please :D  
And if you're wondering, yeah I have planned something for Will, something he went through on Skorghijl...  
LOVEYAGUYS!**


	7. Foldar 1

**HEEY EVERYONE!  
Sorry, for being so superlate again, life is so hectic, HOLY PATATO!  
Anyways, I apologize for being so not-on-time but well, I have a life outside this so forgive me (:**

Don't forget to review, it makes me happy :D

"So that was the first chapter, do you want to take a break?" Duncan asked everyone. He didn't really want a break, but it was his duty as host to ask so.  
"If it's okay for you dad, I want to continue, we only have been reading for 20 minutes or so." Cassie answered her dad.  
"Okay then, but let's eat after this, I'm starving!" Horace informed everybody, it was true after all Horace could eat like a horse.  
"You're constantly hungry Horace, seriously from all that eating you would almost think you'd explode or something!" Gilan laughed, very amused by his humor. The rest was happily following this conversation, amused by their childish manners. Well two people excluded.

The apprentice was somewhere else it seemed, his eyes fixed on the floor and his face pearly white, very much in contrast with his normally tanned skin. He was quiet and not laughing like the rest of the company. Lost in some kind of memory, but still being very quiet and secretive doing so, he was a ranger after all.  
Maybe that was why the only one that noticed his behavior was an older, very experienced ranger. Halt was indeed very worried about Will. It seemed like the last sentence of the last chapter triggered something.. something bad. Evanlyn didn't seem to experience something similar to Will.  
If there wasn't so much people in here, Halt would have surely asked him about it, but before he even could try in this crowded room, his chance passed.

Will was still in that same haunting position when Alyss looked over at him. Because their hands were tied together, Will noticed the movement and met Alyss worried gaze, he smiled at her, though forced and he sat up. Still looking a bit frightened, he looked at Halt en nodded.

"Yeah, let's continue", was the only thing Will croaked, trying to sound convincing but very much sounding more like he would rather have a glaring contest with Halt. And that meant something.

The laughter died, the childish antics between Horace and Gilan too and Pauline asked something.

"If it's okay for you my lord, I'll read now."  
"Ofcourse you can Pauline."

**HALT STOOD MOTIONLESS AGAINST THE MASSIVE TRUNK OF an oak tree as the bandits swarmed out of the forest to surround the carriage. **

Will took a shuddering breath of relief. It seemed that chapter wasn't there yet. If it was mentioned at all...  
Instead this chapter would be about Halt, and that interested Will very much. Finally it wasn't about his feelings and emotions.

"Ha Halt, guess we'll be hearing about you too!" Will said.  
Halt grumbled something in response, "Seems so, and here I was thinking we could laugh some more about you Will." Halt tried to sound a bit amusing, seen as he clearly didn't think this was a humorous story. Quite the opposite in fact. It wasn't really tactic though, because Will clearly took it a bit too serious.

He rolled his eyes, "Relax Will, I'm joking", and he looked deep into Will's intense brown eyes.

The message was delivered, Will got it and gave him a grateful look.

**He was in full view but nobody saw him.**

"Nobody ever does, quite funny actually!" Gilan proudly said.  
"And quite handy in your case Gilan, then nobody needs to look at your terrible face." Will countered back, back to the witty and playfull manner he normally handled, before Skandia.

Halt smiled, while the rest was laughing and Gilan was pouting. That was the Will he knew.

"Good one Will!" Horace shouted, and high-fived his best friend.

Will laughed, a very enjoyable sound, and high-fived back.  
Then he looked at Gilan and laughed some more at his face. "Oh stop it Gilan, I'm only joking!"

Alyss felt a bit nostalgic, seeing the two friends acting like this. And she was happy to see Will back to being so witty, it was not only very nice to see him back laughing again. But his remarks were pretty funny for bystanders too.

**In part this was due to the fact that the robbers were totally intent on their prey, a wealthy merchant and his wife. For their part, they were equally distracted, staring with horror at the armed men who now surrounded their carriage in the clearing.**

**But in the main, it was due to the camouflage cloak that Halt wore, its cowl pulled up over his head to leave his face in shadow, and the fact that he stood absolutely stock-still. **

"Are they forgetting the fact that it takes years of training?" Halt asked.

**Like all Rangers, Halt knew that the secret of merging into the background lay with the ability to remain unmoving, even when people seemed to be looking straight at him. **

"That's the hardest part in my opinion." Gilan said, thinking back to all those times it seemed that he was discovered, but wasn't actually. It really took some willpower to stay unmoving then.  
_He, Willpower... Will must be very good at it._

"I agree" Will said, and he was surprised to hear a grunting noise coming from Halt, one that seemed very much like an agreement. Who knew Halt had troubles with those kind of things too?

**Believe you are unseen, went the Ranger saying, and it will be so.**

Horace snorted.  
"It really only works with you guys, because if I think like that, I'm still seen!"  
"As I said before, years of training!"

**A burly figure, clad entirely in black, now emerged from the trees and approached the carriage. Halt's eyes narrowed for a second, then he sighed silently. Another wild-goose chase, he thought.**

Halt knew he had really hated the feeling of being unable to do anything about Will's situation then, instead being forced to chase and capture some lousy guys who were trying to impersonate Foldar.

_Would the situation have been different if I could have been faster? _

He couldn't bear thinking like that, it only made him more bitter about the hole situation.  
He looked at Will, and he got all guilty again.

**The figure bore a slight resemblance to Foldar, the man Halt had been pursuing since the end of the war with Morgarath.**

"And that was a waste of time!" Halt said, clearly irritated. If only Crowley had let him go, or maybe even the king. But did they ever repay him for his years of loyalty, ofcourse not!  
His angry gaze switched to Duncan, who was wise enough to ignore that deadly glare.

**Foldar had been Morgarath's senior lieutenant. He had managed to escape capture when his leader died and his army of subhuman Wargals faded away.**

**But Foldar was no mindless beast. He was a thinking, planning human being—and a totally warped and evil one. The son of a noble Araluen family, he had murdered both his parents after an argument over a horse. **

"Well, talk about spoiled!" Horace said, everywhere around him agreements were outed.  
"Even I'm not that bad, and I'm the crown-princess!"

**He was barely a teenager at the time and he had escaped by fleeing into the Mountains of Rain and Night, where Morgarath recognized a kindred spirit and enlisted him.**

"Sort seeks sort." Pauline wisely noted.  
"Yeah, and this was some rotting sort, I hope they all get extinct." Gilan commented. Horace nodded his agreement.  
"Well, with people like Will here, I don't think that's a problem." Halt hoped he got Will's spirits up, that boy really needed his confidence back. It was a good quality for a ranger to have.  
And by the way Will smiled, Halt knew he had helped. Though, it still needed some working on.

"Don't forget about yourself Halt, or Horace!" Will exclaimed, "He defeated Morgarath all by himself, and Gilan, he got Foldar and actaully... basically everyone in this room is brave." looking around the room, and being glad he was friends with such brave, inspiring people.  
_And beautifull people, like Alyss. _

It almost seemed Alyss could hear him thinking, seeing as she took that moment to smile at him.

**Now he was the sole surviving member of Morgarath's band and King Duncan had made his capture and imprisonment a number-one priority for the kingdom's armed forces.**

**The problem was, Foldar impersonators were springing up everywhere—usually in the form of everyday bandits like this one. They used the man's name and savage reputation to strike fear into their victims, making it easier to rob them. And as each one sprang up, Halt and his colleagues had to waste time tracking them down. He felt a slow burning of anger at the time he was wasting on these minor nuisances. **

"I think I could distinctly remember that it was not a ''slow burning of anger'' as you so kindly say Halt." Duncan commented, and he was immediately rewarded with a glare from Halt.  
"Then, it still was, but after I heard you didn't agree to see me.." Halt knew this argument was going to burst into real anger somewhere in this chapter. He just felt all those bitter feelings he had then returning to him.

**Halt had other matters to attend to. He had a promise to keep and fools like this were preventing him from doing so.**

"Again Will, I'm really sorry I couldn't get to you earlier."  
Will had already forgiven him, if he even needed to forgive, Halt had come after all and had taken him back home. He had kept his promise. He had found him.  
"Halt, stop, you kept your promise and for that I am so thankful, If you hadn't come I wouldn't know what would've happened.." He slowed down, thinking about what would have happened if Halt had been just a tiny bit earlier by that boat.. Will wouldn't have gotten addicted, or become a slave and Slagor wouldn't have...  
It were those three things he hated the most that had happened to him. Slagor.. how he hated that name. He could still remember..  
He stopped thinking because Alyss and Halt were both looking at him.

**The fake Foldar had stopped by the carriage now. The black cloak with its high collar was somewhat similar to the one Foldar wore. But Foldar was a dandy and his cloak was immaculate black velvet and satin, whereas this was simple wool, badly dyed and patched in several places, with a collar of crudely tanned black man's bonnet was unkempt and badly creased as well, while the black swan's feather that adorned it was bent in the middle, probably where some careless bandit had sat on it. **

"Oh my, that is really handsome!" Alyss joked.  
Will couldn't keep the tiny flare of jealousy that arouse, he knew after all that she was joking but still..  
Alyss saw Will's reaction and was secretly glad with it. Oh, if only he knew how handsome Will himself was. She smiled at him.  
Evanlyn watched the little byplay and got a bitter feeling. Will wasn't hers.. Still, she would try.

What was maybe discreet for the three teenagers, was very clear to the other occupants of the room, who all got nostalgic feelings for their teenager years. Well, at least the older one's.

**Now the man spoke, and his attempt to imitate Foldar's lisping, sarcastic tones was spoiled by his thick rural accent and clumsy grammar.**

"Very amusing, I presume?" Pauline asked Halt.  
He nodded, too tong-tied to do anything else.

Will and Gilan exchanged a look, very amused by their normally so stern mentor.

"**Step down from the carriage, good sor and mad'm," he said, sweeping a clumsy bow. "And fear not, good lady, the noble Foldar ne'er harms one as fair as thee art." He attempted a sardonic, evil laugh. It came out more as a thin cackle.**

**The "good lady" was anything but fair. She was middle-aged, overweight and plain in the extreme. **

"That's not really nice Halt, surely everybody's special in their own way." Duncan said.  
Halt shrugged, "I guess, but I'm more for the long and slender types." Suddenly realizing what he said, he froze.  
Gilan took this as an opportunity, "You mean like Pauline, Halt?"  
He blushed and glared at Gilan.

Pauline, being the courier she was, discreetly covered her smile.

**But that was no reason why she should be subjected to this sort of terror, Halt thought grimly.**

"See, I can be nice!" Halt said indignantly.  
Pauline took her chance, "It was indeed nice to hear you like tall and slender women Halt.", she continued, "Is it wrong to say I am one of those women?" she finished.  
"Of course you are Pauline", Halt told her, "you are very, err," _beautiful? Gorgeous? Smart?_ "likeable." He finished lamely.  
Pauline's smile got a bit forced, "why thank you Halt."

Halt could have hit himself.

**She held back, whimpering with fear at the sight of the black figure before her. "Foldar" took a pace forward, his voice harsher, his tone more threatening.**

"**Get down, missus!" he shouted. "Or I'll hand you your husband's ears!"**

"Haha, I'll remember that for when you two get married!" Will laughed, pointing at Halt and Pauline.  
Sure, Halt liked it when Will smiled and joked, but he needed to know who the master was. "well, I'm not the one holding hands with a courier."

That wisely shut his mouth up, Halt noticed. Though they were still holding hands _Ha, young love._

**His right hand dropped to the hilt of a long dagger in his belt. The woman cried out and cowered farther back into the carriage. Her husband, equally terrified and more than fond of his ears where they were, was trying to push her toward the carriage door.**

"What a coward!", Evanlyn said, "that's just so wrong!"  
"Not everyone's as brave as you Evanlyn, cut him some slack." Will said, just stating a fact but not sensing the jealousy that came from a certain courier next to him.  
Evanlyn blushed, she did her best and was glad people found her brave, "You're just as brave as me Will, if not braver."  
Will wasn't so sure, after all he still felt like a real coward, even she didn't know all that happened on Skorghijl...

Halt studied him and figured he was going to ask him about that haunted look that slightly returned back to his apprentice's face. _Damn it Will, why can't you just talk?_

**Enough, Halt thought. Satisfied that no one was looking in his direction, he nocked an arrow, drew and sighted in one economical motion and released.**

"**Foldar," real name Rupert Gubblestone, had a brief impression of something flashing past, just in front of his nose. Then there was an almighty jerk on the raised collar of his cloak and he found himself pinned against the carriage by a quivering black arrow that thudded into the wood. He gave a startled yelp, lost his balance and stumbled, saved from falling by his cloak, which now began to choke him where it fastened around his neck. As the other bandits turned to see where the arrow had come from, Halt stepped away from the tree. Yet to the startled robbers, it seemed as if he had stepped out of the massive oak.**

"**King's Ranger!" Halt called. "Drop your weapons."**

"That always works!" Gilan proudly said.  
The other rangers nodded.

**There were ten men, all armed. Not a single one thought to disobey the order. Knives, swords and cudgels clattered to the ground. They had just seen a firsthand example of a Ranger's black magic: the grim figure had stepped clean out of the living trunk of an oak tree. **

"It's really amusing to know everybody thinks of us as magicians." Will said, shaking his head. Halt thought about this. "I guess, but it's very handy sometimes. This is good proof."  
Gilan nodded his head.

**Even now, the strange cloak that he wore seemed to shimmer uncertainly against the background, making it difficult to focus on him. And if sorcery weren't enough to compel them, they could see a more practical reason—the massive longbow, with another black-shafted arrow already on the string.**

"Guess that helps too." Horace said, who knew all too well what sort of effect rangers had on people.

"**On the ground, belly down! All of you!" The words cut at them like a whip and they dropped to the ground. Halt pointed to one, a dirty-faced youth who couldn't have been more than fifteen.**

"**Not you!" he said, and the boy hesitated, on his hands and knees. "You take their belts and tie their hands behind them."**

**The terrified boy nodded several times, then moved toward the first of his prone comrades. He stopped as Halt gave him a further warning.**

"**Tie them tight!" he said. "If I find one loose knot, I'll…" He hesitated for a second, while he framed a suitable threat, then continued, "I'll seal you up inside that oak tree over there."**

Will widened his eyes and laughed, "I can't believe they believed that!"  
"Well Will, you always need to use your benefits." Halt teached him, "Even if they sound so stupid."

**That should do it, he thought. He was aware of the effect that his unexplained appearance from the tree had on these uneducated country folk. It was a device he had used many times before. Now he saw the boy's face whiten with fear under the dirt and knew the threat was effective. He turned his attention to Gubblestone, who was plucking feebly at the thong securing his cloak as it continued to choke him. He was already red in the face, his eyes bulging.**

**They bulged farther as Halt unsheathed his heavy saxe knife.**

"**Oh, relax," said Halt irritably. He slashed quickly through the cord and Gubblestone, suddenly released, fell awkwardly to the ground. He seemed content to stay there, out of the reach of that gleaming knife. Halt glanced up at the occupants of the carriage. The relief on their faces was all too obvious.**

"**I think you can be on your way if you like," he said pleasantly. "These idiots won't bother you any further."**

**The merchant, remembering guiltily how he had tried to shove his wife out of the carriage, tried to cover his discomfort by blustering.**

"**They deserve hanging, Ranger! Hanging, I say! They have terrified my poor wife and threatened my very person!"**

**Halt eyed the man impassively until the outburst was finished.**

"**Worse than that," he said quietly, "they've wasted my time."**

"Auch Halt, you're really bitter there!" Gilan said.  
Halt grumbled something in response, "It was true, I could have gone searching for Will earlier! But those stupid impersonators kept me from it! Ofcourse I was bitter."

**THIS IS IT FOR TODAY!  
Tomorrow i'll probably be uploading the next part of this chapter...  
It'll be a heavy one: fights and memories all in one! Yay!  
So sorry for being so late, but I will finish this! NEVER FORGET THAT!  
Loveyouguys!**


	8. Foldar 2

**I've never felt so guilty in my life before... I know it is SO SO SO VERY late but I just wasn't in the mood to write it...I truly am sorry y'all!  
PLEASE FORGIVE MEH!  
I'm not really happy with this chapter, couldn't get it right... but I can't keep you guys waiting for ever. So here it is!**

****

"**The answer is no, Halt," said Crowley. "Just as it was the last time you asked."**

Halt huffed, "I got really tired of that word.."  
Gilan found this quite funny, seeing as Halt had said, shouted, had_ thundered _that word in his apprentice years an awful lot.  
_Karma does work. _Gilan thought, and he smirked.

**He could see the anger in every line of Halt's body as his old friend stood before him. Crowley hated what he had to do. But orders were orders, and as the Ranger Commandant, it was his job to enforce them. And Halt, like all Rangers, was bound to obey them.**

"**You don't need me!" Halt burst out. "I'm wasting time hunting these imitation Foldars all over the kingdom when I should be going after Will!"**

"**The King has made Foldar our number-one priority," Crowley reminded him. "Sooner or later, we'll find the real one."**

**Halt made a dismissive gesture. "And you have forty-nine other Rangers to do the job!" he said. "For God's sake, that should be enough."**

"**King Duncan wants the other forty-nine. And he wants you. He trusts you and depends on you. You're the best we have."**

"Just so you know, I do take offense to that." Gilan spoke, trying to lighten the mood.  
Everybody laughed, expect for Halt who in turn answered him.  
"Oh shush Gilan, all that whining will take you nowhere."

"**I've done my share," Halt replied quietly, and Crowley knew how much it hurt the other man to say those words. He also knew that his best reply would be silence—silence that would force Halt further into the sort of rationalization that Crowley knew he hated.**

"**The kingdom owes that boy," Halt said, with a little more certainty in his tone.**

Will blushed, "I was only doing my job... everybody would have done what I did if they had the chance."  
"Stop being so humble Will, you know what you did was very brave." Alyss answered him.  
He blushed again, but he smiled nonetheless.

Everybody silently agreed. There was not more that must be said about Will's feat. He had been coureagous, witty, strong and smart. It shouldn't be cleared out again.

"**The boy is a Ranger," Crowley said coldly.**

"**An apprentice," Halt corrected him, and now Crowley stood, knocking his chair over with the violence of his movement.**

"**A Ranger apprentice assumes the same duties as a Ranger. We always have, Halt. For every Ranger, the rule is the same: kingdom first. That's our oath. You took it. I took it. And so did Will."**

"I did, didn't I? Still, I'm really grateful you came Halt." Will joked a bit, while still being very serious about it. He _had _been grateful, he still_ was.  
_Halt shrugged, "I made a promise." _And I missed you._

**There was an angry silence between the two men, made all the uglier by the years they had lived as friends and comrades. Halt, Crowley realized, was possibly his closest friend in the world. Now here they were, trading bitter words and angry arguments. He reached behind him and straightened the fallen chair, then made a gesture of peace to Halt.**

"It's weird to hear you two fighting. I've always known you two as the best of friends." Pauline told Halt.  
It had bothered Halt too at that time, but Will had been a more concerning matter. "Friends fight, we got over it. Don't worry Pauline."

"**Look," he said in a milder tone, "just help me clear up this Foldar business. Two months, maybe three, then you can go after Will, with my blessing."**

Will paled a bit at that, imagining _what if.._  
No, he couldn't let his life be controlled by what if's. Halt had come, just in time, there's nothing else to say.

**Halt's grizzled head was already shaking before he'd finished.**

"**In two months he could be dead. Or sold on as a slave and lost forever. I need to go now while the trail is still warm. I promised him," he added after a pause, his voice thick with misery.**

"We already had been sold as slaves... but don't worry about it, we escaped on our own." Evanlyn said in complete seriousness.  
Will shook his head, "On our own? You did all the work!"  
"Maybe I did, but as soon as you could help again, you did. And you protected me. Don't ever forget how grateful I am towards you."  
Will nodded. "I'm just as grateful towards you Evanlyn."

_Evanlyn.. _Her real name was Cassandra but Will was really the only one who could call her otherwise. He said it so nicely...

"**No," said Crowley, with a note of finality. Hearing it, Halt squared his shoulders.**

"Again that word." Halt huffed.  
How it had frustrated him, he couldn't get to Will because the people he had saved had been too egoistic and greedy. Okay, that was a bit over the top, but he had really hated them all at that moment. They were all fixating on Foldar when Will was the one in need. How it had frightened him that there was a possibility Will could have be dead.

He looked at Will again, his apprentice smiled and Halt's mind cleared again.  
_Will was safe, forget it._

"**Then I'll see the King," he said.**

**Crowley looked down at his desk.**

"**The King won't see you," he said flatly. He looked up and saw the surprise and betrayal in Halt's eyes.**

"**He won't see me? He refuses me?" For over twenty years, Halt had been one of the King's closest confidants, with constant, unquestioned access to the royal chambers.**

"I am really sorry about that Halt, I hope you understand." Duncan told him.  
"We cleared this out my lord, as much as I hated it back then. I understand your reasons now, and the matter is not important anymore. Will is back where he belongs, just as your daughter." Halt patted Will a bit on the head before Pauline continued.

"**He knows what you'll ask, Halt. He doesn't want to refuse you, so he refuses to see you."**

**Now the surprise and betrayal were gone from Halt's eyes. In their place was anger. Bitter anger.**

"**Then I'll just have to change his mind," he said quietly.**

"Oh no, when Halt is mad he gets crazy." Gilan said, "believe me, I've seen it on numerous occasions!"

"Mind your tongue boy! I'll have you know my plan was good! Though I'll admit it was a bit.. dangerous." Everybody snorted at Halt's comment.

"You know, I've heard about it from you, and from Gilan. But I can't wait to read about it!" Will laughed, clearly amused.

**That was it, let me know what you think! New chapter will be up soon, though I'm not gonna give you guys a date.. I'm not good with deadlines..**


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